Characteristics of a Great Substance Abuse Counselor

Trust isn’t something that many people give away easily, and a quality substance abuse counselor will know this beforehand. A great counselor is going to be someone who understands what you’re going through and doesn’t judge you.

When you first meet with your counselor, you’ll go through an assessment so that the counselor can understand where you’re at. You’ll begin to see that he or she wants nothing more than to simply help you. It won’t take long to see that the person you’re sitting with is someone who is coming from a place of compassion. The trust component is crucial because you’ve been fighting addiction on your own for far too long.

Although the counselor is there to be someone you can trust, he or she will also be there to help hold you accountable. If a counselor were to simply sit there, listen to your problems and agree with you, you wouldn’t get well. The best counselors will help you separate things you can improve on as well as how to cope with outside circumstances like family, friends and past trauma. Working with a great counselor, you’ll begin to realize that you’re in much more control than you think you are, but you need the tools.

Your substance abuse counselor will help you become aware of your behaviors, thoughts, and habits that are keeping you sick. In early recovery, being left to your own devices can be a recipe for disaster. Having someone there to follow up with you is extremely beneficial.

Group therapy is a key aspect of addiction recovery. You’ll quickly find when you come to drug and alcohol addiction treatment that you’re not alone in your struggles. One of the primary reasons 12-step programs work so well is because they promote support and brotherhood. A substance abuse counselor is going to help facilitate these groups to keep them on track and keep the discussion going.

As with anything in life, there will be differences in backgrounds, opinions, and personalities, and this is where a counselor helps as well. Sometimes in the group setting, personalities may clash, so it’s important that a counselor is there to bring the conversation back to the focus of the group. The focus of every group you attend is to continue to grow in your recovery and help one another out.

Serenity Lodge is an all-male facility in Southern California, and we have an incredible staff of counselors to help you in your recovery. You’ll quickly see that we treat our Clients with the utmost respect and confidentiality. Our qualified substance abuse counselors and therapists use proven addiction therapy approaches to help you recover, including:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Experiential Therapy

We want you to see that there’s a much better life that is waiting for you, and we’re grateful to be part of your journey. Call Serenity Lodge today at (855) 932-4045 to find out more about our facility.